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Hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran on Sunday to celebrate the 39th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, just weeks after scattered riots with the support of some Western powers like the United States hit some cities and small towns across the country.

During the rally, people praised 1979 Revolution, protested against the corrupt policies of the United States and Israel, and supported Iran’s recent accomplishments in both domestic and foreign affairs.

Demonstrators burned puppets of US President Donald Trump in protest to his hostile policies toward Iran. Trump had called Iran a “terrorist nation” in his address in the United Nations General Assembly. He also included Iran in his Muslim travel ban, in which Iranians are not allowed to enter the United States. He also did not sign the last JCPOA, 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the United States, documents, wishing to revisit and alter the nuclear agreement, which he has repeatedly called “the worst deal he has ever seen.” Against appropriate international relations behavior, Trump also supported the recent riots in Iran, even offering to help them in an attempt to divide the country from within.

Iranians burn an Israeli flag during a rally marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, on February 11, 2018, in the capital Tehran. (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

A ballistic missile was also displayed in public by Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Tehran on Sunday. The missile was a clear message to the Western powers that the country’s ballistic missiles program was unnegotiable and that it reserves its right to develop the missiles as a means of defense power. Trump had claimed that Iran’s ballistic missiles program was a hostile threat in the region and that he wants to include it in the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. Iran has only used its ballistic missiles once, which targeted ISIS positions in Syria.

A surface-to-surface missile is displayed by Iranian Revolutionary Guard during a rally marking the 39th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018. (Photo by The Associated Press)

At Tehran’s Azadi Square, where demonstrators had gathered in the morning, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who has been successful in rebuilding the cold relationship with the West, delivered a speech, calling for a “year of unity” among political parties and all the people of Iran in the face of “American and Israeli plots”.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani greets the crowd during a ceremony to mark the 39th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, at Azadi Square in Tehran, Iran on February 11, 2018. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

“I request that the 40th year of the revolution, the coming year, be the year of unity,” he told the massive crowd. “I ask conservatives, reformists, moderates, all parties, and all people to come and be together.”

“We all are one nation and have one cause,” Rouhani said, urging everyone to settle their differences.

“The plots by the United States and Israel to create division among the Iranians, Iraqis and the Lebanese were defeated. The Americans wanted to interfere in our internal affairs, but our people turned its back to them,” the President referred to the recent riots, which the country said was caused by US, Israel, and Saudi interference.

In his address, Rouhani said the country has “progressed in many fields” since the revolution, but he also pointed to some “shortcomings” as well, pointing to the recent protests against the country’s economic hardships.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani delivers a speech during a ceremony to mark the 39th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, at Azadi Square in Tehran, Iran on February 11, 2018. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

“We should trust the people. We must allow all inclinations to participate in elections,” he said. “In the last 39 years, we have progressed in many fields, but at the same time, we have had shortcomings. Maybe in decision-making, we have had delays. Maybe we haven’t been speaking transparently with our people.”

The Iranian President also pledged increasing job opportunities and better economic conditions in the near future. He has been addressing the economic hardships lately, pointing that corruption and mismanagement have put people in dire financial conditions.

People at the pro-government rally still expressed dissatisfaction with the current economic conditions but noted that peaceful protesting does not equal being against the government, as opportunist foreign powers interpreted at the time of the protests.

“Look at these people, they have come in massive numbers here though they know there are some economic problems, too,” said Samaneh Heidari, a 29-year-old teacher wearing a black chador. “We are here to show support to the revolution, it’s bigger than any kind of opposition.”

Young demonstrators carry photos of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini and Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei on Feb. 11, 2018. (Photo by Mehr)

A 57-year-old Tehran resident also claimed that he had taken part in peaceful protests against hard living conditions, but that he also took part in Sunday’s rally, saying they are “two different issues.”

“Today, I am here to say I still support the revolution that brought us independence and dignity,” he said. “Revolution and the economic problems, these are two different issues.”

Another demonstrator, Mehdi Mohebi, has expressed the same sentiment.

“People have the right to protest against inflation and economic troubles,” he said, “The same people have come to demonstrate on the revolution anniversary to announce that they are loyal to their establishment and revolution despite all these problems.”

People wave Iranian flags during a ceremony marking the 39th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, at Azadi Square in Tehran, Iran on February 11, 2018. (Photo by Fatemah Bah-rami/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Abroad, the Middle Eastern power has had considerable successes in recent years. Iran’s foreign policy has won the country some very powerful influences in the region and also promising relations with the European countries. The country had a tremendous role in pushing back and at last defeating the terrorist organization ISIS (also known as ISIL and IS) in Iraq and Syria, where the US’ power has diminished incredibly. Even more so in Syria, Iran helped rid the country of terrorists and brought the lawful government a big win in holding its positions. However, despite its promises, the US is still proving the rebels with weapons and deepening the war in Syria, instead of helping resolve the war through diplomacy. The 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers, the JCPOA, also showed a promising future for the country’s relations with the West. Since then, Iran has decreased its efforts in the nuclear program with full monitoring, in exchange for the gradual uplifting of the sanctions imposed by the US.

In 1979, the Islamic Revolution overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty under the rule of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, who was considered a puppet for the United States by the Iranian people. The Persian monarchy was replaced with an Islamic Republic under the leadership of Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who then became the Supreme Leader of the new government.

The revolution, which was supported by a wide range of people and parties including various Islamist and leftist organizations and student movements, started by demonstrations against the Shah in October 1977, which developed into a campaign of civil resistance comprised of both secular and religious elements. Between August and December 1978, strikes and demonstrations paralyzed the country and Shah left Iran for exile on 16 January 1979, admitting defeat and leaving his duties to a regency council and Shapour Bakhtiar who was an opposition-based prime minister. After that, Ayatollah Khomeini was invited back to Iran by the popular demand and was greeted by several million Iranians in Tehran. With an overwhelming national referendum, Iran became an Islamic Republic on 1 April 1979.

The Islamic Revolution caught the world by surprise and was massively popular, as it lacked many customary causes of revolution – financial crisis, defeat at war, rebellion – and produced profound change at great speed. It replaced a pro-Western authoritarian monarchy with an anti-Western republican theocracy.